
Latest News
See what’s happening with your Water Communities S.A. group.
12 June 2020
The Register of Foreign Ownership of Water Entitlements was established to provide greater transparency about the level of foreign ownership of Australia’s water entitlements.
Impracticable to Monitor Water Trade New South Wales water officials had no official process for checking water trades and believed it would be "impractical" to undertake compliance action over misreported trades
11th June 2020
ABC 7.30 Report Water is arguably our most precious resource. These days it's also a booming commodity, with irrigation water being traded and sold like shares on the stock market. Now there's growing concern that big investors are making a killing while farmers face soaring prices.
Statements from participants involved in the market attached at bottom of link
28th May 2020
Peta Credlin on Sky Peta talks to Helen Dalton MP re water ownership and management
Mick Keelty - MDB Inspector General
MDBA Responds to Keelty Report
We know some irrigators will feel disappointed that the report has not unearthed any new water for communities doing it tough because of the drought, however it does show that every drop is accounted for and is made available to the state governments to manage and allocate according to their rules.
Government to act on southern Murray-Darling Basin water sharing report
THE HON KEITH PITT MP, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, Member for Hinkler This report reinforces the need to improve the transparency, accessibility and availability of information about Murray-Darling Basin water matters.
Interim Inspector-General Keelty’s investigation report and the scope of his inquiry.
Reviews and Reports , - Inquiry into the management of Murray-Darling Basin water resources The Interim Inspector-General has completed the inquiry into the management of Murray–Darling Basin water resources. The Impact of lower inflows on state shares under the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement report is now available. The report was provided to Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, the Hon Keith Pitt MP, on 30 March 2020.
This link is the actual Keelty report. The above link has other reports which may be of interest (ie Water Market Inquiry) and indicates that the ACCC Report on the Water market/Trading is due at the end on May
ABC Radio Interview Excerpt with Mr. Keelty
A brief summary of an interview on ABC Radio with Mr. Keelty. Continues commentary to
-fully implement proposed reforms to governance and transparency across the basin. -water availability and misallocated water. —hasn't been any viable accounting and reporting of water management so far. -called for an audit to estimate the ratio between water entitlements and water availability. -he believes too many water licenses have been given away after coordinating with NSW's ICAC. -alleged corruption within the NSW National Party..
LETTERS TO THE MEDIA
Water is the life blood to our production of basic food items, from fruit and vegetable to dairy. These and associated industries are one of the biggest employers in the State and contributes a huge percentage of the States Gross Revenue. $22 billion and 57% of the States merchandise exports.
Sth Aust Water Allocations 2020-21
The projected minimum, or worst case, opening Class 3 (High Security) allocation for the 2020-21 water year is 2 percent.
Rebuild S.A with Manufacturing
Comment by Ian Penno, Chairman W.C.S.A.
Once again we have the State Government being city centric. All their thinking is within the close proximity to that city square. Everything he speaks about is start up industries that have kicked into gear during the COVID-10 Pandemic. That is greatly needed, at the moment. There is no long term potential industries mentioned other than those already commenced.
The most important industries in this state are Primary Production aligned. The River Murray is critical to a large portion of this primary production from dairy, to fruit and vegetables, basic food items, along with wine and juice processors. These industries are essential to maintain the contribution it makes to the States economy and keep food on the plates of the states potentially growing population.
There are currently several entrepreneurial primary producers trying to create new industries in rural areas. They are continually battling bureaucratic brick walls, receiving little assistance or advice. Would be a different story if they were in that urban conclave.
It makes it even more difficult to understand when you have two federal and two state political representatives in your electorate and there appears to be absolutely no representation at all. The River Murray is in need of urgent management attention and we are in the grips of COVID-19 and we are seeing or hearing nothing of support or reassurance.
Give the rural areas half a chance and the same support as the urban areas and we will show you what manufacturing and industry is capable of.
Article References:
Goyder Institute Coorong Report
The Link below is to the Goyder Institutes report on the Southern Coorong with references to the whole Coorong and Lower lakes.
It is a convoluted and difficult document to navigate and written in a bureaucratic manner.
There are many links within the document and after following a link to another 4 times I found the information re management of the Goolwa Barrages only to inform me that under certain circumstances they will form a special committee to make a decision on what should happen under those circumstances.
They stated that the barrages were installed to create a navigable river for river boats and allow for irrigation when in fact it was built as a water supply to Adelaide.
They also mention the fact re the environment needing wetting and drying cycles, we all agree on that but not every 12 months or more frequent.
The Coorong along with Lakes Alexandrina and Albert require co-ordinated management and control and this is not practicable in isolation. This must also include a method of management of the River Murray from Lock 1, Blanchetown to the River Murray mouth at Wellington
The secretive trade giving foreign investors a slice of our water market
Click above link to open article
Water is our most precious resource and it is also a valuable commodity in a crowded market. Domestic and foreign investors are competing for a slice, including Chinese state-owned companies, and there are serious questions about the transparency some of these purchases.